Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

The second day of the three-day prefectural representative tournament happened to fall on a Saturday. Early that morning, Karasuno arrived at Sendai City Gymnasium, preparing for their quarterfinal. If they advanced, they would face the winner between Seijoh and Date Tech later in the afternoon.

Thanks to careful rotation yesterday, both Hayato and Asahi had conserved energy. After a good night's rest, the two looked sharper than anyone else, giving Karasuno a valuable edge going into the back-to-back matches.

"Everyone, let's do our best today too!"

"Yes!"

Daichi's rallying cry rang out as they stood at the gymnasium entrance. Karasuno's spirited response turned heads from other teams nearby.

"That's Karasuno—the ones who crushed Jozenji yesterday."

"They look solid. Isn't that tall guy their Ace? He was amazing in the first match."

"Yeah, and they subbed him out halfway. They're saving energy for today. Smart."

The whispers weren't wrong. Wakutani was no pushover, and Karasuno would need every bit of endurance to take them on.

Inside the venue, the match records from yesterday were posted on a large board. Shiratorizawa's dominance stood out immediately—straight-set wins, their opponents never reaching past 15 points. Compared to the grueling three-set battles elsewhere, the gap in strength was undeniable.

"Shiratorizawa only let them score 12 in one set…" Hinata muttered, his brow furrowed.

"You. Stop worrying about that," Hayato cut in with a grin. "Focus on Wakutani first."

Hinata blinked, then nodded quickly. "Right!" He scratched his head and hurried after the others as Daichi called them to their corner.

Up in the stands, Hitoka had taken her seat, waving to familiar faces. Shimada Makoto, Yamaguchi's mentor and a former Karasuno player, was also there to watch.

"Shimada-san, good morning!"

"Ah, Hitoka-chan. You're early as always," he replied with a smile.

Soon after, Tanaka's older sister, Saeko, strolled in with her trademark energy.

"Good morning! Oh, the atmosphere's pumping already!"

Shimada blinked—she looked familiar. Saeko noticed his stare and grinned, hand raised.

"Hi! I'm Tanaka's sister, Saeko. Thanks for always looking out for my little brother."

"Ahh, no wonder—you two look alike," Shimada said with a laugh.

On the court, Tanaka nearly shriveled when Saeko shouted encouragements. Hayato and the other second-years, used to seeing her around study sessions, only chuckled and waved politely.

Just then, Karasuno's cheerleading squad arrived—Koyuki and the others, now in their uniforms. They hurried over, bowing.

"Sorry we're late, Hitoka-chan!"

Saeko's eyes sparkled at the sight of them. "This is amazing! Cute cheerleaders for Karasuno? Ryu and the others are lucky! Hey, Ryuuuu—don't you dare lose with girls like these cheering for you!"

Her energetic movements made Hitoka and Koyuki exchange envious glances.

"…I feel jealous."

"Same here," Koyuki sighed, both unconsciously touching their flat chests before exhaling in unison.

Shimada chuckled. "Brings back memories. We had a cheer squad too, back in our day. Strong teams always do."

Unlike Karasuno, Wakunan's cheering section was small—mostly their captain's family waving banners and shouting encouragement. Hinata couldn't help watching with wide eyes.

"His whole family came? That's amazing…"

Tsukishima snorted. "Tch, nothing to envy. It's just noisy."

"Focus, you two," Daichi cut in firmly.

The warm-up ended, and the captains stepped forward. Nakashima Takeshi, Wakutani's buzz-cut captain, gripped Daichi's hand tightly.

"We won't underestimate you. Please take care of us."

Daichi smiled, steady as ever. "The honor's ours. Please take care of us."

With that, the first quarterfinal of the morning began.

Wakutani Minami High School. Their banner read one word: [Perseverance]—a perfect reflection of their grit.

Karasuno's starting rotation:

Front row: Tanaka, Hinata, Hayato

Back row: Kageyama, Daichi, Tsukishima

Libero: Nishinoya, rotating with Tsukishima

The referee's whistle blew.

"Leave it to me!" Daichi called, cleanly receiving the serve.

Hinata launched forward, Kageyama tossing the ball with lightning speed. Hinata's spike rocketed past the net, grazing Nakashima's hand before hitting the floor. First point—Karasuno.

"Nice, Hinata!"

"Good shot!"

But Wakutani didn't falter. Nakashima raised a single finger. "Alright, we'll take the next one back."

Shimada, watching from the stands, frowned.

"…They're not rattled at all by Hinata's quick attack."

"Karasuno's not the 'flightless crows' anymore," Nakashima thought with a grin, eyes shining. "Facing them is an honor."

With Karasuno rotating, Hayato stepped to the service line.

"Hayato-kun, you can do it!!"

Fueled by cheers, Hayato tossed the ball high and snapped into his jump serve. The ball curved viciously, slipping past Wakutani's receiver and slamming to the floor.

"Great shot, Hayato!"

"Nice serve!"

Two points in a row—Karasuno had drawn first blood.

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